TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES - HOW TO MAKE MORE TIME FOR YOUR SIDE HUSTLE

Today, I want to show you the time management strategies that will help you save yourself at least 26 hours per week in your schedule - even if you're working full time, part time, or you're a full time student! Watch the video below, or simply read on as I show you exactly where you can save that time and how it's going to work for you, so you can open up that space to launch your dream coaching business.

Why You Need These Time Management Strategies NOW

I remember several years ago I was still working in a corporate job full time, and I remember going to work in the morning and thinking, "When can I squeeze in a half hour, 45 minutes or an hour of time to work on my business? Can I take a lunch? Can I take a break in the afternoon? Can I take some time in the evening after the kids are in bed and everything's taken care of?" It was so hard for me to find that time - so I worked late at night. I worked on the weekends. I squeezed in time whenever I could. I neglected my body and I didn't work out anymore so that I could spend that time working on my business. So if you're feeling overwhelmed with time right now, know that I totally understand. And just for you, I'm going to walk through a few of my best time management strategies to show you how we can get some hours back on your schedule so you can finally do the things you really want to do (...like launch your coaching business!)

Block Your Calendar

It may seem like common sense to just block your calendar. You may say, "Well, Carolin, if I could just block my calendar, I would already be doing it, right?" But, hear me out. The first thing I did when I really sat down and made that big decision to hold myself accountable and work on my business was to look at what was really happening in my calendar. I'm asking you to be totally honest with me now - because I'm sure there are some spots somewhere that you are not filling that you could use for working on your business. The most important part here is to actually block those times, because when you don't block them, what happens? You don't actually use them - you either forget about them, or something else pops in and you use the time in a different way.

So, what I want you to do right now is actually block at least two or three hours a week in your calendar and actually mark them off, the way you would a meeting or appointment. In PEN. Or you can use a highlighter, or block it in your Outlook calendar or Google calendar - what matters is that you actually put a block in there of at least an hour so that nothing else can pop in there. This first step is all about accountability and the discipline to work through a very hectic, busy schedule so at least you're dedicating some time to working on your business.

Create A Business Plan

Let's talk about business strategy for a moment, because it's not just about having the time to work. It's also about knowing what to actually work on. Often, new coaches may actually have between five and ten hours a week, but the way they spend that time is not very effective. Are you actually following a plan, or are you experimenting? Maybe you'll find yourself on social media for an hour, and then you're writing a blog post for an hour, and then you're watching a webinar for an hour, and then you're looking at someone else's website for a half hour. And at the end of the day or at the end of the week, you wonder why you're not accomplishing anything or moving forward. So it can have to do with not having any time at all, but more often than not, it's simply that you're confusing effort with results and spending your time on the wrong things.

So, as a new coach or when you're starved for time, there are only two things you should be working on.

1. Your deliverables - What you're actually selling (programs, services, packages). As a coach, you have to have a coaching program, right? So if you don't already have a signature system in a coaching program, that's the first thing I want you to spend time on. Not the website, not the brand, not the social media. What is it that you are actually selling? Because your clients will come to you with asks, demands, and needs, and you want to have the perfect solution ready for them to buy - this will be your program (which you will want to make...amazing!)
2. Your marketing plan - Once you have your program, it's time for you to market and sell it. Your marketing plan needs to be structured and planned out so that you know that the time you're putting into a business will actually lead to prospects, then clients, then money in your coaching business.

So if you only have a few hours, use that time on creating your program and your marketing plan. Them, once you install a business plan, you'll be crystal clear on what you should focus on and you will gain back at least two or three hours on your schedule.

Ask Your Spouse Or Family For Help

This may sound like a no brainer, but many people (women in particular) feel guilty about asking for help. We want to feel like we're Superwoman. We are working at our jobs, and with the kids, and the house is always clean, and we're doing it all - but this is not realistic. So do yourself a favor and actually go out there and ask for help. It's okay...you can pay these people back later.

My husband has been an incredible help for me, especially in the beginning when he would take the boys to the playground or to hockey practice, or he would even make dinner for us! This would give me quiet time to focus on my coaching business.

Help from your family can give you at least two to three hours a week. This is plenty of time to write a webinar, set up Facebook ads, or work on building out your coaching program - these are all really impactful and will get you ahead in your business.

Hire Help

Hiring help has given me at least five or six hours every single week. I have a cleaner, a chef, and I used to have a nanny when my boys were still really little. Think about how much time you spend cleaning the house, right? It's at least an hour a week. And then think about how much time you spend cooking. Even if you hired someone for just one meal a week, that's one hour back on your calendar. Think about hiring a nanny to watch your kids two to three times a week for an hour or so. Consider hiring a cleaning service to come into your house once a week or every two weeks, and think about a chef to come in once, twice, or maybe even three times a week to make a meal for you and the family. Hiring help can help take some of the stress off (yes, I'm talking to you, Superwoman) and can give you at least four to five hours back on your schedule.

Ask To Work From Home One Day A Week

When I was working in my corporate career, I was doing a good job for them - getting all my projects done and doing everything that was asked of me. So, I thought, "What if I could work from home one day a week?" Working from home is one of my favorite time management strategies because it can have several benefits for you. First of all, you may not need to get dressed up in the morning. Simply not getting your hair done and putting your makeup on can save you at least 30 to 60 minutes. There's also time wasted on the commute, which can save you another 30 minutes both ways. You also have your lunch hour at home, so you can spend that time working. As you can see, working from home can give you a big time savings of four or five hours to focus on your business. It's pretty great, right?

Work During Your Commute

If you're someone who has a long commute on a bus, train, or carpool, this is time you can get some work done. You can review documents, type on your laptop, check and respond to email, and listen to podcasts and webinars while in transit. Think of how much amazing work time you can gain there! A 30-minute commute in the morning and at night is an extra hour a day of work, or at least five or six hours every single week you can gain back on your schedule!

Shift Your Schedule

When I still had my corporate job, I shifted my schedule so I started earlier in the morning and came home earlier as well. That bought me an an extra hour at the end of my work day to spend in a quiet house before the kids got home from school and my husband got home from work. Because I was by myself, this was alone time when nobody wanted anything from me, so I could focus on my work and really concentrate.

This tip may not work for everybody. It depends on the kind of work that you're doing and what your boss thinks, but if you have that flexibility, it can be amazing. Of course, you'll want to make sure that you actually go to bed early enough at night so that you can wake up in the morning to make your way to your job earlier as well.

Wake Up An Hour Early

If you can't move your schedule and go to work an hour earlier, why not just wake up an hour earlier and work on your business in the morning? What time is your husband getting up? What time are your kids getting up? Maybe they're waking up at 7 am...so what if you woke up at 5 or 6? Get a cup of coffee and work on your business in your pajamas while everybody is still sleeping. That may sound inconvenient for you, but in our business we have to do what we have to do - and in this case it can actually give you a full hour or more of quiet time every single morning to work on your business. So by getting up an hour early, that's a total of at least four or five hours back on your schedule every single week .

Turn Off Your TV

Look at how much time you spend in front of the TV and think about how you could use that time differently. I bet that there are a couple of hours every single week where you just sit there - knowing you're really not getting anything from it. It's not making you any smarter or telling you anything that you need to know right now. So what if you turn off the TV, and instead make a commitment to yourself for the next three months to not watch TV at all? Then take that time back on your calendar and save yourself at least two to three hours every single week to work on your business instead of watching something that's not serving you anyways.

Remove Distractions

As you go through your day and have those little breaks in between, consider how much time you spend on distractions. Let's be honest. What if you removed Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, Twitter, and everything else that is a distraction from your phone? Then add an autoresponder to your email and discipline yourself to only check your inbox once a day. That would save you at least half an hour, if not more, every single day that you could use in a much more productive way.

So let's recap to see how many hours we can save with all of the strategies we talked about today.

1. Block your calendar for a set time every week. This may or may not save you time, but it's definitely going to get you organized.
2. Create a business plan before you start. This strategy should save you at least two to three hours every single week.
3. Ask your spouse and family for help. This should get you at least one to two hours every single week.
4. By hiring help, you will earn back at least four hours every week on your schedule.
5. Ask to work from home one day a week, which should get you at least three to four hours back every single week.
6. Work on the bus or the train to save yourself at least four to five hours every week.
7. Consider shifting your schedule to save another four to five hours every week.
8. Wake up one hour early to save yourself four to five hours every week.
9. Don't watch TV and save yourself at least two or three hours every week.
10. Prevent time wasters to get back another one to two hours a week.

So, what are you planning to do with your schedule, now that you have all these new time management strategies? Which of the 10 steps are you going to implement right away, and how many hours you would like to gain back on your schedule every single week?

And if now you have the time, but you still have no plan and you don't know how to actually get it all done, there are two really special resources I'd love to give you. First, I have a brand new training for new coaches, where I'm going to show you a very simple step-by-step plan for you to launch your coaching business and gain all the coaching clients you could ever want. The training is completely free and you can register for it HERE right now. And if you're still feeling a little overwhelmed and confused, don't worry - I also have a Time Management Checklist you can download right now that summarizes all 10 steps we covered today. It's going to help you manage your schedule and get the time back that you need to launch a coaching business and bring your passions to the world.